A Song for Francesca: Music in Italy, 1330-1430 | Codex Faenza Anonymous, Italian Anonymous, ......

classical music: A Song for Francesca: Music in Italy, 1330-1430 | Codex Faenza Anonymous, Italian Anonymous, ...

classical music:

A Song for Frances...

	A Song for Francesca: Music in Italy, 1330-1430 Codex Faenza Anonymous, Italian Anonymous, ... Hyperion UK, 2003 average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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A magical recording

I must confess to having a soft spot for this recording which remains my favorite amongst the series of recordings Gothic voices made with Hyperion some years back. The music here explores the cultural cross fertilization between France and Italy - of course Gothic voices have explored similar exchanges between France and England. Particular beautiful is the harp contribution from Andrew Laurence-King, who has since gone on to direct a whole series of quite wonderful recordings of his own. The anonymous Constantia played on the Medieval harp here is particularly haunting. Another favorite is the song by Jean Haucourt, 'Je demande ma bienvenue'.

The CD contents are as follows:

Andreas de Florentia Astio non mori mai ballata [2'58]
Andreas de Florentia Per la ver'onesta ballata [3'57]
anonymous Quando i oselli canta madrigal [1'56]
anonymous (Faenza codex) Constantia [2'58]
Johannes de Florentia Quando la stella madrigal [3'10]
anonymous Amor mi fa cantar a la Francesca ballata [3'29]
anonymous (Faenza codex: after Jacopo da Bologna) Non na el so amante [2'35]
Francesco Landini Ochi dolenti mie ballata [2'45]
Francesco Landini Per seguir la speranca ballata [3'30]

French pieces trom the Italian manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Canonici misc. 213.

anonymous O regina seculi/Reparatrix Maria [2'22]
Guiliaume Dufay Quel fronte signorille in paradiso [2'31]
Richard Loqueville Puisque je suy amoureux rondeau [2'52]
Richard Loqueville Pour mesdisans ne pour leur faulx parler [1'49]
Hugo de Lantins Plaindre m'estuet rondeau [4'27]
Jean Haucourt Je demande ma bienvenue rondeau [1'45]
anonvmous Confort d'amours rondeau [3'43]
Richard Loqueville Qui ne veroit que vos deulx yeulx rondeau [1'08]
Estienne Grossin Va t'ent souspir [1'36]

This was the recording that introduced me to Medieval music. I had always thought that listening to this more would make the exotic musical language commonplace to me, yet after over ten years every time I listen to it the old magical evocation of a lost world remains as vivid as the first time I heard it.

A lovely recording which I recommend wholeheartedly.

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